Video | Li-ion Electric Bike Battery Safety and Transportation

Leeds Li-ion battery systems include UN 38.3 certified Panasonic and Samsung cells. On February 6, 2015 the United States Government required that all lithium batteries being shipped from, to and within the United States comply with United Nations/Department of Transportation code 38.3, also known as UN 38.3. In order to ensure the safety of lithium batteries during shipping, UN 38.3 requires all shipped battery cells pass the following eight tests:

T1 – Altitude Simulation
T2 – Thermal Test
T3 – Vibration
T4 – Shock
T5 – External Short Circuit
T6 – Impact
T7 – Overcharge
T8 – Forced Discharge

In 2013 we toured manufacturing plants in various countries. Long before the above mandate, Leeds chose to partner with only the best manufacturers of lithium batteries that are based in Shenzhen and Japan. These partnerships allow us to import the highest quality and best built lithium-ion battery systems available. Our battery systems are built using li-ion cells manufactured by Samsung and Panasonic.

There are cheaper avenues to creating a battery system using other battery brands and generic lithium cells, however, we partnered with our manufacturers for their reputations, quality products, and safety standards in the industry. Panasonic and Samsung are the best in the industry and continue to out perform competitors. Recently, Panasonic and Tesla Motors announced a multi-million dollar deal to coordinate lithium battery manufacturing for future markets. We are excited for the future opportunities of lithium manufacturing at the Tesla Giga Factory with these two industry giants working in partnership together. Along with Tesla, our manufacturers Panasonic and Samsung, as well as our distributors, have received the highest marks and completed all certifications not only for manufacturing but also for shipping our lithium battery systems. We are proud to continue offering Panasonic and Samsung batteries and look forward to future achievements and opportunities with these companies’ products.

As a USA company we completed HAZMAT certifications in 2013 and continue to renew our HAZMAT licenses that allow us to ship our batteries safely and in compliance with Federal regulations. As a USA company in general and a veteran owned company specifically we respect federal laws and comply with all requirements to conduct business in the United States and the nations to which we ship our electric bike kits.

Please follow the below rules to ensure the safety of your lithium batteries in your home:

1) Use the e-bike battery charger that came with your lithium battery product. The maximum voltage is 4.2V

2) The batteries should only be charged at temperatures between 0 and 42 degrees Celsius or 32 and 107.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

3) Discharge batteries only using the electric bike controller that came with the battery system.

4) Discharge batteries at temperatures between -10 and 42 degrees Celsius or 14 and 107.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

5) Store batteries at room temperature 21 degrees Celsius or 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

6) Ensure battery pack is always positioned away from heat sources.

7) Properly dispose of batteries if they are dropped or damaged. Contact us for crash replacement pricing if this occurs.

8) Store batteries at 30 – 50% capacity. We recommend charging batteries and discharging to 30 – 50% capacity at least every ninety days if storing.

9) Do not disassemble or modify the battery system.

For further warnings and precautions please visit Panasonic’s website here.

Enjoy the following videos by Risk Bites if you would like to know more about what makes lithium batteries potentially dangerous.